I like the monster stuff

I just wanted to post this site I found...

http://geekcrafts.com/

It looks pretty sweet and it's got some pretty interesting stuff archived within it's online history.

Splendid!

Professor Elemental in a film? I shall eagerly await it's release from across the pond!

It's been a while...

And you thought I didn't update my blog very often!

'Intellectual crisis' concerns Higgins

MARK HENNESSY London Editor

Ireland and the European Union have been “living through a period of extreme individualism” when the very existence of society itself has been questioned, President Michael D Higgins has told the London School of Economics.

"The public space in so many countries of the EU has been commodified, and it is as calculating rational choice maximizers, rather than as citizens, we have been invited to view our neighbours," he said.

"That is the mark of our times, the hegemonic version, by which it is suggested, we live our lives together. Our existence is assumed to be, is defined as, competing individual actors at times neurotic in our insatiable anxieties for consumption.

The power of the markets to declare that humanity is irrational, while the market itself is rational must be resisted, said Mr Higgins, who is on his first foreign visit as head of state.
During a wide-ranging speech, Mr Higgins paid tribute to the founders of the London School of Economics, including Irish writer, George Bernard Shaw, who promoted a greater understanding of the need for socialism.

"In so many ways the tragedy of modern Ireland's recent difficulties is that it did what the founders of the LSE hoped. It was the first English-speaking country to decolonise, to walk in darkness down what would become a better lit road - a road illuminated by teachers and students at the LSE.

"The problem for Ireland was the failure to achieve economic lift-off at the same moment as soon after. By the time the more recent economic boom began, leaders and people had all but lost connection with the cultural and political elements of national revival which might, if retained, have provided an ethical brake, made a critique that would have constituted the regulation that was needed," he said.

The dream of a social Europe, he said, is being "undermined by the commodification of ever more aspects of social life, as European social capital, the strongest in the world, is monetized.
"It is clear we have arrived at such a crisis now as great or greater than that faced by the previous generation of political and social theorists at the end of the 19th Century. It is a challenge for all of us to craft our response to our crisis as they did to theirs in their time.

"We are experiencing now I believe an intellectual crisis that is far more serious than the economic one which fills the papers, dominates the programmes in our media," said the President, who earlier visited the London Irish Centre in Camden. While at the centre, Mr Higgins said the Irish living overseas would “always be in the forefront of my thoughts”.

Tomorrow, Mr Higgins will visit the Olympic Park and attend a performance of Juno and Paycock involving the Abbey Theatre and the National Theatre of Great Britain before returning to Dublin on Thursday morning.

Ms Mulready, of the Irish Elderly Advice Network, one of the groups that will meet the President, said there is “great excitement” surrounding his visit.

His final event tomorrow evening will be to attend a performance of Juno and Paycock involving the Abbey Theatre and the National Theatre of Great Britain before returning to Dublin on Thursday morning.

(Original article: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0221/breaking15.html)

It's a twisted little miracle!

Gaze, fair reader, upon the face of my latest creation. This marks the dawn of a new age in my life as an artist (and a ticking off of one of the items on my '1001 in 101' list!). Take a look, check back often, and leave lots of comments so I know what you're thinking!

http://quarterpagecomics.blogspot.com/

I found a webcam in the office

So I did what any self respecting telemarketer would do...

Butter Tarts

I pinched this recipe from the internet. I've made a few adjustments and had things turn out really well. The original was apparently from Brantford.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

PASTRY
2 cups flour
1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons cold water

FILLING
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raisins (optional, or can be replaced with pecans)

Preparation:
Pastry:

Blend the shortening, salt and the flour with a pastry cutter, or two knives, until you've created a uniform mixture that is crumbly and about the size of frozen peas.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 egg, 1 tbsp white vinegar and 2 tbsp cold water.

Add to shortening and flour mixture. Mix all ingredients together, but only until just mixed and no more. The key to flaky pastry is not to overhandle the dough.

For ease of handling, make a ball of the dough, wrap in cellophane and place in freezer for 10-15 mins.

Roll out dough onto floured surface to about the thickness of a CD case. Using either a cookie cutter or something like a jar lid, cut out circles from the dough.

Press dough circles into a muffin pan.

Filling:

In another bowl, mix well the maple syrup, brown sugar, melted butter and egg.

Add vanilla and stir in raisins.

Spoon filling into pastry shell to just below the rim. Bake at 200c for about 10 mins until golden brown.

Makes about a dozen tarts.

Perhaps a future project...

http://www.simondale.net/house/

I've been a big fan of eco-building and earthships for a long time. I've also been looking at pictures of this house for the past couple of years without knowing anything about it. Imagine my surprise when I found a website all about it!